a very seaworthy salad
Reviewer: chris
from Santa Barbara, CA
Las Aves, on Bath Street at the Best Western across from Cottage, is reliably good - food, service, ambiance, and value. Today we had their "El Marinero" salad and it was delicious for a summer day with a complex variety of well-cooked fish and shellfish plus mushrooms, spinach, egg, tomato piled high with a sweet Balsamic. Service was attentive and friendly as usual. A treat for hotel guests and locals in-the-know, with salad way better than what the tourist-oriented seafood places at the waterfront put out.

Fabulous
Reviewer: Ellen
from El Dorado Hills, CA
I went to Santa Barbara with my mom and 6 y/o daughter on vacation a few months ago. My friend recommended Las Aves to me so I decided to give it a try. We had a fabulous experience. The ambience was nice. The service was great and the good was excellent. We really enjoyed our dining experience and would definitely go back when we are in Santa Barbara.

Outstanding Santa Barbara Gem
Reviewer: Kay
from Santa Barbara, CA
As we see Santa Barbara keeps growing with restaurants that mimic one another and start making SB seem more like LA. Las Aves Cafe is a stand out its a true local restaurant that has outstanding service. I cant tell you how many times over the past 3 years I have gone and every time I leave so impressed. The food is out of this world from the fresh chips and salsa you get to some of my favorite dishes like the Penne Con Chipotle pasta, Shrimp Chile relleno, Chicken enchilada, grilled artichoke, pepper steak, and many more. Its a unique location and a unique restaurant one in which I feel very much at home. No matter if its breakfast, lunch, or dinner I will always choose Las Aves. Keep up the great work!

Great local spot!
Reviewer: Marianne
from Santa Barbara, CA
I've been to this restaurant several times and the food has been great everytime! Some places you get lucky one day and disappointed another. The ambiance is nice, staff is warm and food is good. Great location for me, close to work. Had a amazing cobb salad with fresh mango passion fruit dressing. I was kinda hesitant but glad I tried it. It was amazing! Fresh and flavorful. Will definately keep coming back

Wonderful, authentic Mexican food
Reviewer: Yolanda
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food is tasty and well prepared. The atmosphere is airy, extremely clean and quiet, providing a perfect place to meet your friends for lunch, dinner or happy hour. I loved the beef enchiladas which were NOT swimming in cheese like so many other Santa Barbara Mexican eateries. The rice and everything on the plate were authentic and worked well together. Recommended as a fine new entry into the crowded Mexican category.

Disappointment after reading the hype here
Reviewer: Richard
from Santa Barbara, CA
The restaurant is clean and pleasantly decorated, and the service is good. Still, I'm amazed at the high ratings for the food.
My meal included bland shrimp, average spices, lukewarm but otherwise good rice and beans. My salad included limp spinach, tasteless tomatoes, over-cooked hard-boiled eggs (gray yolks), bland mushrooms, and too much mixed-in salad dressing. The chicken on the salad seemed like it might have been in the fridge for longer than optimal.
The glass bird prison near the entrance there is a unique twist, though I saw one bird fall to the ground dazed after smashing into the glass wall during a fly-away try. (Not cool! At least they should put something on the glass to help the birds avoid accidental suicides.)
I was very disappointed by the hyped up reviews about the food here. It isn't hard to find better Mexican food in Santa Barbara.

Yes, it is a great spot!
Reviewer: Jill Brouillard
from Santa Barbara, CA
I agree with the positive reviews for Las Aves. It has a very warm and attentive staff, as well as good straightforward Mexican food. It is not easy to breakthrough when you are tucked inside a hotel, so it is very nice to see locals patronizing and appreciating this nice little mom and pop cafe!

Great little place
Reviewer: Gene
from Carpinteria, CA
Beside the interesting menu and very good food, I appreciate places where you feel that you are genuinely welcomed and appreciated. This is a gem of a local spot and I wish the
owner(s?) all the best.

Lovely dining spot
Reviewer: Julie
from Santa Barbara, CA
Food was excellent and the service was too. Atmosphere is very warm and inviting. We had steak, scampi and the special of the evening, and it was all delightful. And they serve you chips and salsa to start the meal! We will definitely go there again.

Why a FIVE?
Reviewer: Mike F.
from Santa Barbara, CA
I expected just OK food in this out of the way restaurant, however, I was very surprised. The food is fresh, cooked perfectly, very reasonably priced, served on a warm plate and you get everything included in your meal. The server was very nice and knowledgeable. OH, and I like the menu. They have all my favorite menu items and Mexican.

Great Food and Service
Reviewer: Glenn
from Buellton
The RN Grilled Chicken Sandwich is to die for. I guess its named after the Resident Nurses that go there. This place is high end food in a lower end hotel. I think the food is there for the doctors and nurses across the streets in the Cottage Area. Great food and not overly pricey. Definitely recommended. Very nice service/ambience. They have a small finch bird(las aves) aviary in the front too. Free chips with seems like homemade salsa a nice touch.

stop telling non- locals
Reviewer: Jorge
from Santa Barbara, CA
Seriously folks, place is fantastic. Food is great- similar to cafe del sol but with more Latino and less Spanish style. Go there and you will not regret it. I would like to keep out the touristas but c'est la vie. If they don't get lost on the westside then they deserve to enjoy this place too.

YUMMY!!!
Reviewer: Candi
from Santa Barbara, CA
My friend and I went here for lunch because of the previous reviews...OMG were we very pleased. We were seated in the back patio. It was nice. I ordered the torta..AMAZING...the bread was soft and the steak was tender...mmm my mouth is watering thinking of it right now....it was way to big for one person. The rosemary fries to die for. My friend had the grilled chicken sandwich...he was very pleased...he couldn't finished it either...that's a first!! We will come back again for breakfast and dinner for sure maybe even the Sunday Brunch!!

Wonderful all around!
Reviewer: Veronica
from Santa Barbara, CA
Have been in several times for lunch and dinner. The service has always been great and the food is phenomenal. The atmosphere is lovely. I have recommended it to several friends and they all have the same appreciation for great food and service. All around great place.

A lovely surprise
Reviewer: Jill Brouillard
from Santa Barbara, CA
Recently, I attended our friends 25th wedding anniversary dinner at Las Aves. I must admit to never having heard of this little gem. We arrived early, were greeted warmly and had a drink while waiting. The cocktail was very good and there were a few nice wines by the glass. Our private party was seated in the atrium, and both that room and the main dining area, were cozy and set up attractively. The mexican food we were served was very fresh, well presented and tasty. My favorite aspect of this restaurant was the service. It was exceptional, from the bartender to the waiters and bussers. There was always someone there when you needed attention and the staff was very pleasant. Our guests of honor were extremely happy as were all of us. Many times when dining, people's expectations are met in food, only to be let down when it comes to service. I would like to thank the owners of Las Aves for meeting all our expectations and to the staff for their professionalism. For a nice unpretentious meal with great service, visit Las Aves!

$2.00 for a single slice of toast???
Reviewer: aagrbg
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food was good on Sunday AM and the service was decent ... however, charging $2.00 for a single slice of toast is robbery. At least the toast wasn't burnt !! We'd go back, because the food was pretty good and the place was relatively quiet ... but it isn't the best value.

New reviews led us to this place on rainy Sunday morning for a late brunch with happy results. First clue was the salsa that came with the automatic basket of light and fresh chips. Obviously home made, fresh ingredients and a slightly smoky hint that said proper care and understanding.

Two very nicely prepared plates of eggs benedict, again high marks for handling all ingredients properly with only a slightly disappointing side of prepared cubed potatoes and peppers that needed a bit more zing and crispness but this was only a side.

Definitely coming back to try dinner items and keep my search for the best fish tacos in Santa Barbara going to evaluate their entry and intrigued also by the great chile relleno reviews. This is not necessarily a "Mexican" restaurant but more an appreciation of the very flavorful additions Mexican cuisine has offered to our mainstream cafe dining fare.

The setting is simple, tasteful and gracious with a nice open feeling, some booths for privacy and an outdoor room with poolside and garden views. A special hidden place and with very credible and varied choices, extremely well priced with friendly service. Full bar. Eggs benedict were $9.95 each.

Absolutely wonderful!
Reviewer: DeeDee Lane
from Santa Barbara, CA
This was a first time visit for my husband, sister and brother-in-law, and I. We came here because my dentist and his staff recommendid it! We will definately be back soon! I ordered the Chile Relleno stuffed with shrimp and it was magnificent! The Margarita was excellant too!

So glad I live close by.
Reviewer: Gigi
from Santa Barbara, CA
The best thing about this restaurant is that I only live 2 blocks away. The food is delicious and service impeccable. I've had breakfast and dinner. Both were outstanding. The best surprise is that they really know how to make Chile Rellenos the right way. The drinks were generous and very well priced.

Will definitely return!
Reviewer: R.W.
from Goleta, CA
As a first time customer, I was absolutely blown away with the quality of the food and how it was prepared. The vegetables in the quesadilla were so fresh and not at all overdone. The service was fabulous and the prices are reasonable. We were a group of 6 and everyone in the group felt the same about the food and the service.

Welcome newcomer to the neighborhood
Reviewer: Randy
from Santa Barbara, CA
I have eaten twice at Las Aves Cafe, once for breakfast and once for dinner. Both times the food was excellent and the service superior. I had chili verde and eggs for breakfast. I admit to being fussy about my eggs; I like them over easy and "very soft". These were prefect! When I went for dinner, it was a warm evening so I sat in the patio. I felt like having a sangria although it was not on the menu; the manager, Ivan, said no problem. It was a very refreshing sangria. Once again the service was outstanding and the food delicious. This is definitely a hidden gem.

new neighborhood spot!
Reviewer: Hillary
from Santa Barbara, CA
Went with a friend 2 days after it opened (thanks to John's blog) and I had the alambres w/chicken, he had the fish tacos. The chips were fresh, the mexican rice was wonderful- not dry at all. The service was almost too good. I got asked 3 times if I was still working on my food, and yes, I was. Everyone was very polite and their breakfast menu looked promising too. Glad this is only a few blocks from home!

My NEW FAVORITE Restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewer: Angelique
from Santa Barbara, CA
Tried this place & have been back every weekend since!! It's that good!! Good variety on the menu! First visit did a mexican dish (alambres..yummm), second visit a sandwich and tonight italian! One wasn't better than the other they were ALL tasty and flavorful. Everyone I've had a meal with here has enjoyed their dish very much! I highly recommend this place! You will not be dissapointed! Never had my coke glass empty! Love that!!!

Great Food and Great Service!
Reviewer: David
from Santa Barbara, CA
I love the atmosphere of the restaraunt and bar. It is cozy and lively. The margaritas are excellent especially the fresh strawberry margaritas. The grilled artichoke appetizer is the best I've ever had. I followed this with the lamb shanks that were cooked to perfection. The waitress was most attentive. All this was on their second day of operation which is impressive. My opinion is that they are ready for business and off to a great start.

This place is NOT ready for business
Reviewer: Dick Poedtke
from Santa Barbara, CA
The site is spacious but the afternoon I was there was only one other table occupied.
I ordered a Martini but they had NO vermouth.
I ordered the "Sizzling Hot Fajitas." They were cold and charred.
When I tried to pay with plastic, they said they were not set up yet; how about check ot cash.
When I raised a fuss, they said there would be no charge. The only part I enjoyed.